


Have a Little Faith

by oliv213



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: AU, Christianity, Coffee Shops, College, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, f/f - Freeform, fall - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-07 19:10:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21463084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oliv213/pseuds/oliv213
Summary: Beca is doing well. She’s a student at Barden University, she has a well-paying part-time job, and her friends are always around being generally sweet and annoying.Then she meets Chloe. Chloe is perfect by every definition. She is pretty, kind, and happens to run bible study every Friday in the coffee shop Beca works at.Sometimes things just happen, whether you planned for them or not.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 17
Kudos: 87





	1. Proverbs 7:15

**Author's Note:**

> Soo, I really love this story already and have an unlimited amount of ideas for it. I've never written anything with multiple chapters but I'm ready to commit. Let me know if you like it and I'll keep it going! Okay cool, enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!" Proverbs 7:15

Beca liked college well enough. 

Sure there were the bad days. The ones with too much homework, particularly voracious customers at work, and the errant well-meaning phone call from her dad. He was more supportive lately but god Beca was so over polite conversations for the sake of his guilt.

So sure, there were bad days, but there were good ones too.

The days where she took coffee orders and everyone said please and thank you, when she finished mixing a track she felt especially proud of, the days when Jesse was waiting for her after class jingling his car keys with a goofy grin- ready to take her off campus to get air and maybe some greasy food.

Overall, Beca liked college more than she thought she would. She felt content and happy. It was an ebb and flow like anything else.

“I dare you to go over there.”

Beca jumped at the voice directly in her ear, releasing a breath once she realized it was just Stacie.

“If I wanted to be indoctrinated I’d become friends with the Mormons who stand outside Barden Hall everyday.” 

Stacie huffed, moving from behind her and putting her elbows on the counter, leaning forward and staring unabashedly at the table in the corner.

“I never got the whole Jesus thing. It just seems like a lot of extra work you know? Takes a day out of the week, maybe two. Plus if your really into it there's like actually  _ reading  _ the book. It’s like taking another class.”

Beca finished drying the mug she was holding, setting it under the counter with all the others. She got what Stacie was saying but was a little preoccupied watching the redhead at the table. She seemed so focused on what she was doing, so sure of it. It seemed like she was the leader of the little group. They met every week on Fridays, 6 o’clock on the dot. If the girl  _ was _ the leader she must have been pretty organized. She looked it. Red curls in perfect place, pretty floral shirt sitting loosely on her shoulders, the buttons buttoned sort of low, leaving just enough room for a pretty golden cross to hang delicately from her neck, sitting just so-

“Wait- did you say the book?”

Stacie nodded. “Yeah.”

“As in you mean the bible??”

Stacie smiled. “Yeah dude it’s a book isn’t it?”

“It has a pretty universal name doesn’t it?”

Stacie rolled her eyes. “Whatever, you’re just getting all defensive cause your girlfriend’s a christian.” She gestured toward the redhead, who was smiling encouragingly while someone else at the table talked. Stacie had clearly caught on to her months-long staring habit. 

Beca’s stomach dropped but she steadied herself, it wasn’t like she was a homophobe so there was no need to be that uncomfortable at the mere mention of it.

“Dude, gross.” Great. Way to not sound homophobic Beca.

Stacie nudged her with her elbow, too gently for Beca to feel comfortable yet. “Chill out dude, I’m just kidding. Plus everyone within ten miles of you can tell you have the hots for Jesse anyway.”

Beca rolled her eyes more seriously at that one but didn’t fight it. She had tried that before and it always ended with Stacie reciting her Maid of Honor speech for their “totes adorbs” future wedding. Wasn’t worth it. Beca did take notice of the redhead again though. She was packing up now, placing a pink journal in her bag along with a zipper pouch which Beca knew was full of highlighters (she had paid attention the past few weeks, curiously contemplating how one might go about “studying” a bible), and then the final most important piece- a shiny black bible with gold lettering. The book, as Stacie had called it.

“You know what, I’m gonna go over there. They can’t be  _ that  _ weird right?” Beca stepped back, throwing the rag under the counter.

Stacie looked at her, amusement written all over her face. “Don’t worry, it’s not them who I’m worried about.” 

“Ha, very funny.”

Stacie looked pointedly at Beca, with all her sudden nervous energy and the wringing of her hands and what not. “God I didn’t know you were so afraid of organized religion.”

Beca couldn’t hear what Stacie was saying at this point, too busy building up the courage to step from behind the counter. Beca could tell that the girl- the redhead- was just on the verge of leaving, everyone at the table standing and saying their goodbyes to each other.

She stepped from behind the counter, knowing Stacie was probably following her movements like she was watching the season finale of a good soap opera, or in this case, a bad one. Either way Beca stepped out, walking determinedly toward her goal, weaving between tables, purposefully acting as if she was assessing their level of grime, sweeping a crumb off here and there. Until she was so close to the table it was unavoidable. She went to take another step but stopped abruptly as the redhead turned, catching her eyes.

And Beca froze. Nearly taking a step back as their gaze hit. The girl seemed to freeze too and it was just like that for a moment. Two people caught in the stare of the other. Beca had never been up close like this before, always seemingly preoccupied when the girl came up to order her usual mocha- iced in August and September and hot as the months bled into fall. That’s when the group had started showing up: August. 

“Sorry, we know it’s late, we were just about to leave.”

It wasn’t the redhead who spoke but the tall blonde standing next to her. The redhead had enough sense to break eye contact though, looking at her friend for a moment and then seemingly coming back down to earth. 

“Right.” She looked back to Beca who was yet to speak. Beca was struck again as the redhead looked at her once more, her gaze a little more controlled this time, maybe still curious. “Yeah, sorry to keep you.”

“No, no-” Beca’s voice cracked, and she coughed to clear it. “No it’s okay, I was just coming over to uh, make sure you guys enjoyed your coffee?” She almost tacked on an ‘I guess’ at the end but stopped herself, knowing she looked like enough of a stuttering mess as it was.

The redhead smiled at her, apparently amused by Beca’s antics.

The blonde seemed like she felt differently, looking at Beca like she was a stray puppy. One that needed a good meal, or maybe to be put down. It seemed as if she couldn’t decide. “It was lovely.” She spoke loudly, a mixture of condescension and pity coating her words. “You did a very good job.  _ Thank you. _ ”

The redhead put a gentle hand on the blondes shoulder. Holding her back both physically and as a suggestive measure. 

“It was great thanks.” She smiled genuinely at Beca.

Beca nodded, afraid her next words would make her seem even more socially awkward, if that was even possible.

“Oh!” The girl straightened her stance. “I’m so sorry- I’m Chloe, this is Aubrey.” She gestured toward the blonde who seemed very over the interaction by this point.

Beca’s eyes went wide. “Right, I’m Beca.” Beca reached out her hand, cringing internally as she did so- she was twenty years old- who even shook hands anymore?

Chloe did apparently, as she smiled brightly at the gesture and clasped Beca’s hand, grateful for the formality.

“Nice to meet you Beca.”

Aubrey smiled tightly. “Okay well- I’m gonna head out Chlo.”

Chloe looked at her and then around at the empty coffee shop, her hand slipped from Beca’s.

“Oh yeah, okay well-” She looked back at Beca. “See you around?”

“Yeah, definitely, see you around.” 

The redhead, Chloe, grinned at Beca again, that same curious grin as before- as if Chloe didn’t quite get Beca yet. Which was cool, Beca didn’t really get what she was doing either. 

Stacie trailed behind them as they walked out, locking the door and flipping the store sign to closed once they were gone.

“Well, that wasn’t weird at all.”

Beca stood in the middle of the empty coffee shop, giving herself one more minute to think of the girls eyes again, cobalt blue, and then she turned on her heel.

“Shut up.”

——

“I can not believe you made me watch that.”

“C’mon Beca! You loved it!”

Jesse jogged ahead of her as they walked out of the theater, he turned around and started walking backwards, the glow of the neon theater signs made his face all pink and blue. 

“Vampires are  _ cool _ Becs.”

“Vampires are decidedly  _ not _ cool. Not anymore at least. A second one of these movies didn’t make them any cooler.”

Jesse rolled his eyes, stepping in time with her again. It was nice, to bicker with him. Nice to fake fight with someone for a change. Jesse was a great guy. Well, besides the Mike and Ike obsession. 

The best guy ever actually. 

It was- confusing. Beca was never one to think about her feelings, but Jesse made her consider them on occasion.

Like when they would laugh together for a little too long. The laughter would quiet and then every time, without fail, he would squeeze her shoulder, filled with affection he didn’t know how to place otherwise. 

It made Beca think. It would make any girl think right? Their whole friendship would make someone think. Best friends with a boy who cared about her, bought her gifts, joked with her, knew her, was there for her constantly like a dumb sweet brick wall that had no where else to be. 

If Beca was  _ normal girl _ they’d be dating. At least that’s what Stacie says.

_ “You’re not normal you know.” _

_ “Great thanks for the heads up.” _

_ “Not like that idiot.” _

_ “How else am I supposed to take that??” _

_ “Just- you’re like- stronger than the rest of us.” _

_ “What?” _

_ “Like your willpower with Jesse. If a guy looked at me like that I’d be all over him. You’re taking it slow, that’s good, it’s what makes a relationship last.” _

_ “Yeah, it’s good... to go slow.” _

Not normal. Not intentional at least.

Lots of people have guy friends. Mostly other guys sure but anyone can be friends with anyone. This wasn’t the fucking 1950’s for christ’s sake- 

“Becs?”

“Huh?”

Jesse was looking at her, leaning on the car console in between them. He was smiling as if he had caught her somewhere far away. 

“I asked what team you’re on?”

Beca blinked. “What?”

“Edward or Jacob?”

“Right.”

He looked at her expectantly..

“Uh, neither.”

“Becaaaaa.”

“Ok dumbass what team are  _ you _ on?”

Jesse shook his head and put the keys in the ignition, looking behind him as he backed out.

“Oh Beca Beca Beca, obviously I’m team Jacob. Can’t believe you don’t already know that about me.”

Beca grimaced. She looked out the window, watching people laugh with their friends outside bars, parents dragging their kids along with one hand and grasping takeout boxes with the other. It was all very quaint.

“I don’t even  _ want _ to know what criteria you base that decision off of.”

“First off, wolves are sick...”

Once they were back to campus, Beca sat for a while in Jesse’s car. He let her. This was usually how their most important conversations would begin. Beca not quite ready to leave, Jesse content with eating leftover candy while he waited for the inevitable. It was a good system.

“Do you believe in God?”

Jesse laughed out loud. Beca’s eyes went wide for a moment.

“Dude!” She sputtered. 

Jesse wiped an imaginary tear. “Becs c’mon, do I believe in God? That’s the deepest thing you could come up with?”

“It’s a serious question jerk.”

She turned away from him and hunched down in her seat, crossing her arms. 

So much for talking to Jesse.

The car was silent for a few beats too long. Beca almost started to feel uncomfortable.  _ Almost. _ Which was a hard thing to feel in Jesse’s presence. Beca wondered if he was able to read her as well as he claimed. If so, she was concerned. For the fact that the slight tremor in her hands and vocal cords would be sure to set alarm bells off in Jesse’s head if he was to catch on.

“I think, no.”

“No?”

“No.” Jesse shook his head with his lips pursed, a sign that he was sure of what he said.

Beca had never felt relief flood her more rapidly. Her shoulders nearly melted into the leather seats. She didn’t even know she was looking for a particular answer, but there it was.

“Why not?”

Jesse glanced away briefly, clearly thinking. 

“Well I think it’s all sort of- dependant you know?”

Beca nodded for him to continue.

“Like, if I was born into a religious family maybe I’d feel differently. But I wasn’t. I was born into  _ my _ family, and the only thing my parents worship is Sunday night football.”

Beca snorts at that.

“Besides that, I sort of think religion is something for people who can’t decide for themselves. They don’t want to really think about things and so they subscribe to a moral code that’s prewritten for them. It’s like a “How To” guide on being a human being.”

Beca nodded. “It’s especially helpful if that particular moral code furthers an agenda that you already have based on prejudices that benefit you and harm others.”

Jesse’s eyebrows rose by an inch and his lips curled into a smile. “Are you taking an ethics class or something and you just wanted to show me up?”

“Shut up.” Beca hit his arm lightly.

“Ouch.”

Jesse rubbed his arm for a moment and yawned, his energy was drifting Beca could tell- it  _ was  _ nearly eleven afterall, but just as she was about to say her goodbye’s, he spoke up.

“Do you?”

Beca’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Do I what?”

Jesse chuckled, knowing full well how bad Beca was at linear conversation. “Believe in God.”

“Oh.” Right.

Beca hadn’t really given it much thought. Her mind conjured up blue eyes and a cross pendant.

“I don’t know.”

___

  
  


If she were being honest, Beca would say she isn’t the biggest fan of mornings. As a kid, her mom would wake her up in the morning for school. Gently nudging her and calling her name. Maybe even leaving the door open as she left so Beca would smell breakfast cooking and be too tempted by food to stay in bed any longer. 

When her mom died her dad had to start waking her up in the mornings. 

He’d come in, tell her to get up, and leave. To be fair, Beca was a pretty heavy sleeper, so it was no surprise when an hour later, sitting in the car already late for school, Dr. Mitchell was reprimanding her in his most stern voice. 

So mornings were- not great. Luckily the existence of caffeine and sugar aided in making her not feel like a total zombie at work. A simple cranberry scone and a cup of dark roast can really do a lot for a person. Specifically Beca. 

Unfortunately this morning had been, well terrible. One of the bad days Beca sometimes experienced. When she had arrived to work (fifteen minutes late) she realized Stacie had changed shifts and that her manager, Roger, was absolutely swamped with customers. Instead of asking why she was late he threw an apron at her and scowled, pasting on a smile as he turned back to the never ending line of college students and morning commuters. 

Not to mention it was only eight AM and they were already out of cranberry scones.

Beca spent the next two hours rapidly working each machine, pulling different syrups and milks from the catalogue in her brain that held recipes like “Cayenne Pumpkin Latte” or “Mulled Mint Frappuccino”. It was often in these moments that she felt the most like a middle-aged white businessman. Cursing people for not ordering something normal like an Americano or Iced Latte. It had to be all this weird hipster shit that Beca couldn’t remember the ingredients for.

Then she would take her break, sip her nitro cold brew with hazelnut cream, and forgive the inventors of new-age coffee that she had ever cursed them. 

As Beca took her break today, she stuck to a black coffee. No need to complicate her life further.

Beca let her manager know she was taking her break and he nodded from his place in the back room, obviously too tired to reprimand her in that moment. She walked past her other coworkers who chatted amongst themselves as business slowed. She knew most of their names but liked to stick to being friends with one person at a time in any given situation, and her friend here was Stacie. She wasn’t even sure how they became so close given that Stacie was the most outgoing person she knew and Beca was, well, less so. 

Beca went to head outside, coffee in hand, when she bumped shoulders with a customer. She looked back at the man as he passed, shouting a quick sorry that he probably didn’t hear. As Beca turned back around though, her day suddenly got a whole lot worse. 

She turned, not stopping in her stride, and slammed directly into someone.

Her paper coffee cup folded in her hand, squishing unfortunately between them, busting the lid and sending hot coffee up into the air and back down onto Beca and the unsuspecting patron. She gasped as she felt the liquid soak into her shirt and drip down her chest, she could already see the look on her managers face when he found out she spilled hot coffee on a customer. She was ready to grovel to this person- anything for them to not tell on her.

Then she looked up.

The redhead, Chloe, stood in front of her, tall and gorgeous with coffee now dripping down her neck and soaking into her white t-shirt.

Beca turned red. Partly from the temperature of the liquid, mostly because of the girl standing in front of her, and if there was ever a moment she wished God existed, it was right now. If he was as merciful as people said, a bolt of lighting would come down from the sky, through the roof of the building, and turn her into a pile of dust. A pile of dust that wouldn’t have to deal with the aftermath of ruining the shirt of a perfectly put together girl who she maybe really wanted to be friends with.

“Oh my god I am so sorry-”

“It’s okay, it’s okay-”

“No seriously I can like- pay for the shirt or something really-”   
  


“Beca it’s cool.”

“-Dry cleaning maybe? Do you do dry cleaning? I don’t but I-”

“ _ Beca. _ ”

Beca looked from where she was nearly pawing at Chloe’s shirt- really unsure of what else to do in this situation- and up at Chloe who was now holding her by the shoulders.

She was pretty today. Casual. Her white t-shirt tucked into a pair of blue jeans rolled at the ankles, white sneakers, a pair of gold earrings, and her hair up in a bun. It was the most casual she had ever seen the girl. 

Chloe looked at her with her eyebrows raised, a small smile on her face. Beca could feel the coffee going cold through her shirt and she shivered.

Chloe glanced down at the goosebumps forming on Beca’s arms and then back up to her eyes, sitting there for a moment, and Beca really couldn’t find anything to say. She knew it was odd, to keep not talking, to let the silence linger, but it was like the wires in her brain had popped and sizzled, the electric current from Chloe’s touch flowing through her soaking wet shirt, onto her skin, and into her brain.

“Beca?” 

Shit shit shit.

“Yeah?- Right- I’m so sorry.” Beca had zoned out. Chloe’s hands weren’t on her anymore as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder. At least it looked like that had been kept dry.

Chloe smiled and looked down at her shirt. “It’s okay really, I have a change of clothes in my car.” She gestured outside and then looked back up at Beca and smiled. “I’m a little more worried for you I think.” Chloe pointedly glanced over to the counter. Beca turned her head and saw her manager gathering paper towels and a mop.

Beca looked back Chloe. “Oh shit, he’s coming over here isn’t he?”

Chloe laughed, actually laughed at Beca, and looked back at where Roger was now heading toward them. She whispered conspiratorially. “He definitely is- game face Becs.”

Beca’s heart jumped a little. The idea of her boss reprimanding her was terrifying, but the fact that Chloe was on her side- calling her Becs?- made it almost bearable. 

“Beca.” Her bosses voice was controlled but stern. Chloe looked at her as if they were both in the principal's office. “Can you please make this young lady whatever she’d like- free of charge- and then afterwards you can apologize,  _ profusely. _ ” He looked to Chloe then. “I am so sorry ma’am we usually aren’t in the business of staining our customers.” He glowered at Beca.

Chloe smiled a megawatt smile, and Beca saw for the first time the persona that could get Chloe just about anything she wanted. 

“It’s no problem at all! Beca here was just helping me the other day, she’s a wonderful barista, very polite. I actually came back in because of her. Wonderful service really. You know I’m here every Friday with my bible study group-”

Cold washed over Beca again. A new set of goosebumps forming. Chloe was in bible study. Chloe was a christian. Chloe was perfect and good and traditional. Beca didn’t normally have a problem with religion, she guessed she didn’t really have any religious friends, but she suddenly felt so uncomfortable with the whole idea.

“-all because of Beca.”

Beca looked curiously at Chloe, tuning back in to the conversation. Her boss looked stunned, possibly a little red.

“Oh well that’s... wonderful.”

Chloe nodded dutifully, looking back at Beca. Roger turned and also looked to Beca, eyebrows raised. Beca didn’t really love attention, especially when she didn’t know what is was for. 

She looked back to Chloe.

“Let me get you that coffee.”

____

Once Beca had made Chloe her mocha- and grabbed them both a few more paper towels- they sat outside in what Beca would say was slightly uncomfortable silence.

“You didn’t want to make yourself another coffee?”

Beca shook her head. “God forbid I spill it again and someone slips on it and dies or something and then I get sued by them and then murdered by my manager.” 

Beca watched Chloe chuckle to herself. “You’re funny you know that?”

“If you think I’m funny now wait ‘til I spill hot tea on a baby.”

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

“Dude, I spilled coffee all over you, how are you being this nice?”

Chloe sipped her coffee. “Maybe I did it intentionally, free Mocha.” She held her cup in the air, cheersing to no one. Beca grinned.

“You’re kind of a dork.”

“You’re kind of klutz.”

“Touche.”

They sat there for a minute, in what was now comfortable silence, Beca’s nerves now somewhat put to ease. Chloe was okay. Chloe was nice, funny even. Picture perfect and somehow still down to earth. She was one of those people who you wanted to hate but was so charming you somehow couldn’t find it in yourself. 

“How did you know, by the way?”

Beca focused in and blushed a little, she had definitely been staring.

“How did I know?” 

“To make me a mocha? You didn’t even ask what I wanted.”

If Beca thought she was blushing before she was sorely mistaken. She could practically feel the coffee reheating with how warm her neck was.

“Um, I mean, everyone likes a mocha.”

Lame excuse. What a lame excuse.

Chloe’s laugh rang out like a bell. “Oh so you got lucky then?”

“Must have.”

“Mhmm.” Chloe sipped her coffee and looked at Beca over the rim. Her gaze was intimidating. It was like it was a Friday night and she was studying a passage out of “The Book”. Beca wasn’t sure she could even say the word right now. The reminder setting a pit in Beca’s stomach.

As Chloe studied her though, Beca suddenly realized something.

“Wait, did you say you only came back because of me?”

Chloe’s eyes went wide and it was her turn to blush. Beca had never seen red look so good on someone. In theory it would clash with Chloe’s red hair, make her light freckles less noticeable. Instead it lit her up, making her glow and her blue eyes pop. She was kind of gorgeous, and although Beca had known her only a very short time, she thought it was unfair she hadn’t seen this look on Chloe yet. Unprepared, almost shy, a little defensive. 

“I mean- it’s- I just you know, wanted to... to thank you! For the uh-”

“-Chloe.”

Chloe looked back up at Beca’s eyes. “Yeah?”

“It’s okay.”

Chloe nodded. Leaving them both a little confused. Beca didn’t know exactly what she was referring to. What was okay. She definitely didn’t know that that wouldn’t be the last time the phrase would be spoken between them. After that, conversation came easy. Beca talked about school and her job and how she didn’t realize she’d like college so much. Chloe talked about her 

parents, both raised baptist who raised her baptist all the same. She talked about her childhood dog, the tree she climbed on as a kid and kissed her first boy under as a pre-teen. She talked about her favorite bagel place on campus and how she always knew her whole life that she’d end up at Barden, how she loved singing in her church choir and doing acapella at school with Aubrey but always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. Beca commented that she preferred fish over furry animals. 

Chloe laughed. “I have a feeling you have a soft spot in there for dogs.”

Beca rolled her eyes but made no further argument because  _ maybe sometimes _ she scanned the local shelter sites and  _ maybe _ every once in awhile she felt a tiny bit of sympathy for the mutts with big brown eyes. The ones who were just a little rough around the edges. 

After that Beca talked some about her childhood. Briefly mentioning her mom had passed to which Chloe responded by putting a hand over her own. Something that didn’t make Beca feel anymore at ease but was a nice gesture nonetheless. After that she mentioned her father who she made clear was nice but distant. Then she talked about Jesse and how annoying he was, how she wouldn’t know where she’d be if he hadn’t have stormed into her life with a dvd player and unlimited quantities of snacks. She talked a little about Stacie and mentioned how boring her days were at the coffee shop without her. She finally circled back around to her mom, mentioning how she kept the boring out of Beca’s life too once.

When she was finished she took a breath, realizing Chloe’s hand was still firmly holding hers on the table, how Choe’s head was leant in her hand, eyes totally focused on Beca. 

She hadn’t planned to say all that, really hadn’t even told Jesse much about her mom, although he had had a similar response to Chloe’s. Suddenly Beca felt the rushing embarrassment of sharing your feelings with a total stranger. 

“Woah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to tell you like- my whole life story.”

Beca slipped her hand from Chloe’s who seemed surprised, like she had forgotten it was even there. She regained her composure quickly though, looking up at Beca with a reassuring smile on her face.

“No it’s cool. I like hearing about that stuff.” Chloe said the words softly, like she was really trying to get Beca to understand that she meant them. 

Then Beca thought back to all that Chloe had said, and before she even knew words were coming out of her mouth, she spoke.

“What’s it like to have your whole life planned out for you?”

Chloe looked shocked, maybe even a little hurt, and Beca kicked herself. Never had she been good at talking, but she was starting to think maybe she should learn, if only for Chloe’s sake.

“I mean- I didn’t mean like- I’m sorry that came out totally wrong- I really didn’t mean-”

“Beca.”

Beca stopped talking abruptly, visualizing a lock and key, that way maybe she’d keep her mouth shut.

“It’s okay, it’s a fair question.”

“It was rude and I shouldn’t have said it.” Wow, Beca was full of apologies today.

“It was blunt. You’re straightforward, there’s no pretext when you ask questions and it’s good. I like that you’re honest.”

Beca wanted to mention the hurt she saw on Chloe’s face, apologize for that, but she figured there was a line when it came to honesty, and Beca was already drawing up a few for future reference.

“That’s a really nice way of saying I have no filter.” She smiled at Chloe, trying to let as much vulnerability slip through as possible, she had a feeling Chloe was about to share with her more than she had planned as well.

“You are a dork.” She chuckled at Beca then looked down at her coffee. Tapping her thumb against the lid for a moment, preparing herself maybe, thinking through her words the way Beca learned Chloe did. Using the skill of articulation that Beca’s brain could only hope to learn one day. 

“I’ve always lived here. My parents moved to a suburb five blocks away from Barden when I was three years old. My father got a job as a Freshman English professor, and was a part-time pastor at our church.”

Chloe  _ had not _ mentioned that little detail before.

“I went to an elementary school ten minutes from here, my little brother was born when I was five, I joined choir when I was seven-  _ and loved it _ -”

Beca smiled.

“-I went to highschool  _ fifteen  _ minutes from here, five minutes from my elementary school, my brother joined choir when  _ he _ was seven, he hated it- dropped out when he was eight. I babysat all through highschool but started walking dogs sophomore year because I had always loved animals, I told my parents I think I wanted to be a vet and they told me I had always been good with animals and they thought it was a great idea...”

Chloe paused, sipping the last of her coffee. Beca could tell what she was going to say next was hard for her. So when Chloe put her cup back down Beca did one of the scariest things she could think of.

She reached out and held Chloe’s hand, moving their hands toward the middle of the table and stopping there, not sure if she could handle anything more. She smiled softly at Chloe. Trying to ease her worries as best she could with her limited social skills. 

Chloe smiled gratefully and squeezed Beca’s fingers, her palm under Beca’s own.

Beca settled then. Her heart was beating fast. She could tell because she could sense it behind her ribs, a hard ‘thump-a thump-a thump’ that she had never been able to feel without putting her hand over her chest and searching. 

“Then I went to college. I met Aubrey and I joined The Bellas and suddenly I felt that maybe I hadn’t considered music enough as an option. Y’know, something that was maybe more serious than a hobby or a social group.”

Beca nodded in understanding.

“When I brought it up to my parents they made it clear it wasn’t an option.” She frowned.

Chloe wasn’t supposed to be the kind of person that frowned.

“So I refocused on being a veterinarian, and the Bellas are wonderful and all but it’s just a hobby. Luckily I have church choir and I’ll always have Aubrey as a lifelong friend so maybe we can get together and sing on the weekends. Karaoke is pretty fun.”

Even as she said the words Beca could feel Chloe was becoming less and less confident in them.

She had already said enough for today though, not feeling it was her place to further push her ideals in on Chloe’s life. Instead she squeezed her hand, mimicking Chloe’s earlier position of head in hand, the smile on her face genuine.

Maybe she could continue to learn manners from Chloe, god knows she needed the lessons.

Just then a notification popped up on Beca’s phone, Beca glanced down and then swiftly removed her hand from Chloe’s.

“Oh shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been gone from work for an hour.” 

Chloe looked down at her own phone. “Oh my gosh it’s eleven already?”

Beca stood, gathering her things and nearly dropping all of them.

Chloe laughed at the amount of disorder Beca seemed to always cause, and stood up trying to help.

“Leave it leave it, don’t worry about it I’ll clean up.” 

Beca looked at her at her with wide eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah of course dummy, get back to work before your boss remembers you spilled hot coffee all over an unsuspecting customer.”

Beca grinned. “You’re so mean to me.”

Chloe laughed. “Get out of here!”

Beca shook her head and jogged to the front, opening the door for a little old lady and then hurrying inside.

Chloe chuckled to herself. Beca was one of the weirdest people she had ever met, and one of the funniest, and the most intriguing.

As Chloe gathered their trash, she heard the bell above the door chime again.

Beca ran out, a little out of breath, and stopped in front of her.

“I’ll see you Friday right?”

Chloe’s eyes went wide.

“Yes dork, now go back inside before you get fired!”

Beca huffed a short breath and nodded. “Right, right.”

As she jogged back towards the doors, holding the door open for yet  _ another _ elderly person, Chloe smiled. 

Beca was good. Beca was new, and Chloe felt maybe she needed something new. 

  
  



	2. Proverbs 27:17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Chloe sat, and thought about the past several months.

It was nearly the end of the year, so now was as good a time as any. 

She had had a good year. She had a little more control in the Bellas, and got to sing alongside Aubrey. She began officially running youth group on Monday nights, something her mom seemed to think she was a natural at, which boosted Chloe’s confidence. She had passed last semester with a 4.0 which while not new for Chloe, was a success nonetheless. Especially as it seemed to be getting harder and harder as she got older and took on more responsibilities. 

So yeah, good year. 

Working for the church was interesting. It had its difficulties of course, explaining the importance of a strong relationship with Jesus to teens was not as easy as one might think, but bible study was helping with that.

Beginning bible study this summer was one of the best ideas Chloe had had in a long time. 

Talking about what was important to her with other like-minded young adults? 

Pretty cool. 

After asking around about a more secular location to host bible study a classmate had recommended the new coffee shop down the road.

“The Barden Bean.”

It wasn’t the most inventive name for a coffee shop but Chloe went to scout it out anyway.

When she walked in and looked around she immediately felt comfortable. The high ceilings were held up by tall wooden beams which framed the wide glass windows that made up most of the building. On the back wall was a long concrete counter that housed all the normal coffee machinery along with a few copper accents here and there. It had square tables with wooden chairs and cushioned benches lining parts of the wall, with little green accent pillows thrown around haphazardly, in a chic state of disarray, to reflect the college students that bustled in and out. 

After spotting the large oval table in one corner of the shop, Chloe knew she had found her place.

And if all of that hadn’t convinced her, Chloe had a feeling she would have wondered back in anyway.

Because of Beca. 

Beca Beca Beca.

Chloe had been thinking about her since the coffee incident last Monday. Had thought about her a little before that even. It was hard not to notice her, walking around the shop, smiling at people. It was a tight smile sure, but Chloe felt as though she could read everything on Beca’s face and it made her want to get to know the girl better.

Finally, after almost three months, Chloe felt she had actually covered some ground with her. 

Due to no actual bravery on Chloe’s part of course. It was all Beca, introducing herself and such. Chloe thought it was sweet the way she stuttered over her words. It was also unexpected to see Beca standing right there when she turned around. She had never seen her up close like that. Chloe hadn’t noticed her piercings before then either, a little hoop at the top of her right ear and a bar through her top left, two normal studs through her lobes. It wasn’t something Chloe usually noticed on people but on Beca it was a little bit of a surprise. For some reason, watching her walk around the shop, Chloe hadn’t gotten that vibe from her. Sure she was a little grumpy maybe, she had on dark-ish eye makeup and her nails were painted black, but even with all of that Beca was just- pretty. Like really pretty. She was petite and her hair was neat and wavy and if anything the eyeliner brought out the brightness in her eyes. Chloe kind of thought she looked like a princess out of a children’s fairytale.

Then Monday happened, and talking to Beca went even better than she had imagined. Sure, crashing into someone with hot coffee in their hand was never ideal but it had worked out very well in Chloe’s opinion. 

Then she had been looking forward to seeing Beca again on Friday but when she showed up, the girl was nowhere to be found. Once youth group was over and the others were busy cleaning up, Chloe had very casually asked the brunette behind the counter if Beca had worked that day. 

The girl, who Chloe knew was probably a friend of Beca’s, had smirked. 

“Good to know it’s reciprocated.” The barista said under her breath. 

“What?”

Stacie’s eyebrows rose. “Nothing. Beca’s sick so she had to call out. Told me to let you know if you asked.”

Chloe nodded. “Oh okay, cool. Thanks- Stacie right?”

Stacie smiled. “Yeah, nice to meet you.”

“You too. Guess I’ll see you around?” Chloe’s teeth were white, eyes glinting. 

Stacie shook her head internally, she couldn’t believe Beca’s luck. “Yeah def, I’ll let Beca know you stopped by.” She smiled. 

Not as casual as Chloe was hoping for- but she could roll with the punches. “Totally, thanks.”

She was a little disappointed to be honest. She had been excited to dive head first into this friendship. Wanted to get to know Beca even better. But it was okay, there’d always be next week right?

That still didn’t stop her from thinking. 

So much thinking. 

Beca always seemed to be a little flustered, always swept up by a current of chaos. Chloe found it interesting, intriguing even. No one in her life was like that. She wasn’t sure she had met anyone ever who seemed to be in such a state of disarray. It made Chloe want to tease, to jab or to remark. 

It wasn’t something Chloe had ever done with anyone really. But Beca was right there with something equally as jabbing. Equally as shocking to Chloe. It was like a game they both already knew the rules for.

Chloe had a feeling they were going to be fast friends.

“Chloe.”

“Hm?”

“Pay attention sweetheart you have a far off look in your eye.”

Chloe pulled her focus from where she was watching her father up at the podium and over to her mother in the pew next to her.

“Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Well it’s okay to think dear, just at least pretend to listen to him.”

Her brother Luke chuckled from his place next to her. Chloe smiled at him. Her mom knew how much she valued their Sundays, but she also knew that Chloe had heard her fill of her dad’s sermons. She could practically recite them all if she tried hard enough. Luke probably could too. Her father was fond of the same few books in the bible and often studied them ‘til there wasn’t much left to decipher. 

“What were you thinking about?” Her mother whispered.

“Oh, you know...” Chloe wasn’t sure what she was going to say. She thought she was just going to rattle off exactly what was on her mind, that’s usually what she would do. For whatever reason, her brain was putting walls up at everything she might mention. The name ‘Beca’ held firmly within her psyche behind a few solid layers of stone. ‘Coffee Shop’ or ‘Girl in coffee shop’ were red flagged as well. No chance of ‘told my whole life story to a girl who spilled coffee all over me but it’s okay because she’s really pretty and also small which means probably trustworthy’ coming out of her mouth.

“...just school stuff.”

Her mother hummed, not buying the vague response but willing to let Chloe have a few things to herself. For the moment at least. 

At the back of Chloe’s brain she noted that her mother was likely to remember this interaction, because a good baptist mother does not forget, especially when it came to her children. Any unusual behavior and her mom would start snooping- and you did not want Nancy Beale snooping- for she would surely find something.

After church service, Chloe went to the teen room as usual, to make sure everything was set for tomorrow night. It was a bright room, filled with board games, cards, and different instruments- a lot of which Chloe knew how to play. 

The thing Chloe loved most about it was that it felt cozy, more like a room in a house than a church. It was on the second story of the building and had two large panelled windows sat at the edge of the slanted roof that could open and let in a breeze in the summer. The windows looked out onto a massive grass clearing to the side of the church that they liked to host BBQ’s and play sports on. Inside the room there was a large burgundy patterned rug which sat on top of the wood floor. Then two leather couches which faced each other and a wooden coffee table between them. On the other side of the room sat many stackable chairs and a few bean bags. The furthest wall was exposed brick as the church was mostly brick excluding the large white steeple and a few accents. When Chloe was little she’d draw the church as a square with a triangle on top and then a small rectangle for the steeple. 

Chloe remembered sitting in this room when she was a teenager, pretty much running it by the time she was sixteen. 

“...Then my dad started dating this lady who’s vegan and does yoga and wants to be friends with me like way too much...”

That’s what Beca had been doing when she was sixteen. Dealing with the continuous aftermath of her dad’s grief. Chloe frowned thinking about a sad sixteen year old Beca, wishing she could have taken her in then, invited her to youth group or something.

Wait.

That was it. That's exactly what Chloe could do. Beca couldn’t join bible study per say given that she worked then- but youth group? She did need help with the kids after all, and Aubrey wasn’t going to help her, especially considering how weirdly competitive she got with children. 

Beca. Youth group. That could work. 

Chloe had a plan. 

___

“What do you think of Beca?”

Aubrey laughed, a short quick laugh as she stretched forward to reach her toes. 

“Beca the girl who spilled coffee all over you?”

Chloe smiled at Aubrey's dramatics. 

“Yes Aubrey, that Beca.”

Aubrey scrunched her eyebrows as if she was actually thinking about it. 

“She seems a little- alternative.”

“She’s nice.”

“She’s a stranger.”

“She’s not a stranger. We talked.”

“Oh you talked. Good to know, that means I’m best friends with the guy who made my salad at Express Greens yesterday.” Aubrey said it in a short high pitched tone, as if she was almost upset.

“What’s got you so worked up? It’s just a question.” Chloe bent her arms behind her in a shoulder stretch. 

Aubrey rolled her eyes and stood up, walking over to the lined up chairs and taking a seat.

“You’ve been so focused on this Beca girl who you’ve met twice, may I remind you, that you haven’t even asked about my ideas for the ICCA’s.” 

Chloe rolled her eyes in realization. “Aubrey, the ICCA’s aren’t for another four months.” 

“Chloe, halloween is this Saturday, the ICCA’s are mid January. That’s just over two months.”

“Wait, halloween is this Saturday?”

“Yes- Chloe, haven’t you been paying attention when Alice goes over the set lists?”

“Of course I have.” She hadn’t. 

“We’re going to start choreography today but she’s letting all of us pick the final song. We actually have a say! This is important.”

Chloe knew she had been a little checked out as of recent. Focusing back in on the Bellas could be good for her. A good achievable goal. 

She nodded, grabbing a water bottle and sitting in the chair next to Aubrey. “Right. What songs were you thinking of?”

Aubrey’s face lit up with joy. She clapped her hands rapidly and squealed.

“Yes! Okay so you’ve got to hear my version of this Paula Abdul song...”  
___

A few days passed before Chloe thought about Beca again.

Or more like, a few days passed where Chloe actively tried to think about something else.

Her mom had always told her it was bad to let any one thing pull too much of your focus. It was about making sure you were paying attention to all of your responsibilities one at a time. Giving an hour to one task, a few hours to another, and keeping everything relatively in balance. 

It just seemed that her brain had gotten tired of school, church, Bellas, school, church, Bellas, on a seemingly endless loop.

So Chloe had waited to think about Beca until it was the appropriate time. She wouldn’t see Beca until Friday so she told herself that she had to wait until at least Thursday night to dwell on it. 

Except it was Wednesday, and Beca was currently sitting on the grass in the quad, headphones over her ears, totally focused on whatever was on her laptop and completely closed to the outside world. 

Chloe was so focused on their coffee shop meet up that it hadn’t even occurred to her that she might actually see Beca on campus. 

Either way, Chloe wasn’t one to pass up such an amazing opportunity. 

She made her way onto the grass and did her best to tip toe so that Beca wouldn’t take notice of the girl creeping up behind her. As Chloe got closer though, she began to hear Beca’s voice, which took her by surprise. She second guessed her plan for a moment, not wanting to interrupt if Beca was on the phone, but then Chloe recognized the tone. 

Beca wasn’t talking at all, oh no, she was singing. Beca Mitchell, piercings and grumpy disposition and all- was singing Top 40.

Not only was it Top 40, it was “Boyfriend” by Justin Beiber. 

Chloe couldn’t believe her luck.

She stood there for a moment just listening, unable to think about her creep levels right now. Because Beca was good. Like, really good. She sang on pitch, the high notes were pretty and light, she bobbed her head perfectly in time, not to mention her tone was like- gorgeous. 

Beca’s voice was kind of amazing, and that was with this song. Chloe couldn’t even imagine what she might do with a Ballad. 

The longer Chloe stood there the more it felt as if she was listening to someone in a recording studio. Beca had to know how good her voice was, if Chloe sounded like that... well she would be like- really full of herself. Chloe was good of course, great even, but Beca...

A person could get a record deal with a voice like that.

Plus, the rapping was pretty cute. Chloe didn’t miss the fact that Beca knew every single word. 

Once Chloe realized she had been standing there for much too long by this point to be normal, she crept forward and set her hands down firmly on Beca’s shoulders, causing the girl to jump about a foot in the air before pulling her headphones off and turning around wildly, a mix of terror and anger in her expression. 

Chloe burst out laughing at the look on Beca’s face. 

“Oh my gosh, you are so easy.”

Beca’s brows creased in confusion. “Chloe?!”

Chloe sat down next to Beca on the grass. It was a warm day for October, the sun was out and the wind was just barely blowing. Her mom would call it ‘cardigan weather’.

“Funny seeing you here.” Chloe smiled, slapping Beca’s knee.

Beca looked at her incredulously for a moment. “You nearly scared me to death.”

“A little dramatic don’t you think?” Chloe let her eyebrows raise, knowing how easily Beca could be riled.

“Oh I’m sorry is it dramatic to react badly when being attacked from behind?” Beca’s voice pitched higher at the end, letting her amusement slip through.

Chloe’s eyes sparkled with laughter. “Whatever, drama queen.”

Beca’s hands flew up in the air, pointer finger directed at Chloe. “I am not-”

Chloe waved her off. “Yeah yeah, you’re totally not dramatic. I know, I get it.”

Beca let her hands fall and she huffed out a breath. Accepting defeat this time around. 

For a moment, they just looked at eachother. 

Chloe shifted. “So what are you up to?” 

Beca glanced down at her laptop, closing it and adjusting her headphones more securely around her neck. “Nothing, just like, homework stuff.”

“Funny, I’ve used that excuse before.” Chloe grinned.

“I don’t know what you are accusing me of but I can assure you I’m innocent.”

“Oh really?” Chloe’s eyebrows rose.

Beca smiled like a perfectly behaved little kid. The same little kid who definitely threw the paper airplane at the teacher while she wasn’t looking. “Really really.” 

“Okay, cool.” Chloe nodded succinctly, looking down for a moment, contemplating. 

She looked up. “Just one question though?”

“Hm?” Beca hummed.

“If you were my boyfriend would you never let me go?”

Beca’s face turned red so quick that Chloe couldn’t help but giggle.

“-Or, and this is serious, would you take me places I ain’t ever been before?”

Beca threw her sweatshirt at Chloe which she abruptly caught amongst her fit of laughter.

“I’ll kill you.” Beca said this from inside the cover of her hands, where she was currently hiding her face. Probably to conceal the redness but also the pure embarrassment that comes from getting caught singing a rendition of a cheesy teen pop song.

“No you won’t.”

Beca groaned. Muffled from between her fingers.

“If it makes you feel any better you’re an amazing singer.”

Beca looked up then. “Dude I get it, you caught me- allegedly- singing the most embarrassing song ever, no need to add fuel to the fire.” 

Chloe shook her head. “Dude, I’m not joking, you have a great voice.”

Beca smiled graciously as if Chloe was just placating her. “Seriously Chloe, you don’t have to try and make me feel better or whatever, it’s embarrassing, let's leave it at that.” 

Chloe couldn’t believe what she was hearing, Beca was definitely the most annoyingly humble person on earth.

“Oh come on Beca, I heard you, you can’t pretend like you can’t sing.”

Beca shook her head. “I’m not pretending. I sing for fun sure, but that doesn’t mean I can like- actually sing.” She shrugged. 

Chloe was taken aback. She had never met someone who doubted themselves so much. The fact that it was Beca was even more shocking. Beca was one of the coolest people Chloe had met and who she knew, in such a short amount of time, was going to be like- wildly successful.

“Beca. I’m a Bella. I know a great voice when I hear one, and you-” Chloe poked Beca’s arm pointedly. “-have one of the best.”

Beca rubbed her arm and looked at Chloe skeptically. 

“Whatever dude.”

Chloe groaned. “You are like, the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.” Then she thought about Aubrey and Alice, and actually most of the other Bellas. “-well maybe like fifth most stubborn.”

Beca smiled to herself, knowing Jesse would agree with Chloe’s assessment. “What an honor.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. Exasperated with this girl who couldn’t take a compliment to save her life. 

But that was new too, Chloe never rolled her eyes. Or did anything to indicate she was annoyed with someone. Sure there were plenty of times where she had wanted to between Bella’s practice and teen group but she had never actually acted on it, it was just... impolite. 

And now, she was rolling her eyes nearly fifteen times just in the past fifteen minutes. 

Not that she was actually all that annoyed with Beca to begin with.

It was just a part of this whole thing. This thing where she wanted to rile Beca up, make her understand how frustrating she was, because despite only talking to the girl for a short amount of time, Chloe could tell she was a pain. The kind of pain that makes you laugh out of frustration. The good workout muscle ache kind of pain. The kind that never lets you forget it's there as you reach for a glass high on a shelf or bend down to grab your bag. 

Not the tension headache Aubrey kind of pain. As much as Chloe loved her.

Chloe’s phone chimed then, derailing her train of thought and making them both jump, breaking eye contact.

Chloe looked down at the notification, squinting in confusion. “Huh.” 

Beca’s eyebrows rose curiously. “What’s up?”

“Nothing just- Bellas practice is canceled. Which hasn’t happened in like... ever. Alice- our captain- she’s sick.”

“They never cancel practice? Haven’t you been in this group for like three years?”

Chloe smiled ruefully at Beca’s tone. Ah, to be so young and so naive. She quickly replied to the group chat and slipped her phone in her pocket, looking back up at Beca.

“Oh Beca Beca Beca.” Chloe sighed, resting her chin in her hand and shaking her head. “You have no idea do you?”

Beca squinted, ignoring Chloe’s question entirely. “Aren’t you tired? It seems like between The Bella’s, your church stuff, and school, you wouldn’t have time to do anything else. Like, when do you- I don’t know- sleep and eat?”

Chloe’s eyebrows rose in surprise. The honesty in Beca’s words leaving her scrambling. Beca always seemed to do this. She was able to just pick up the most controversial pieces of Chloe’s psyche and throw them out in the open. As if they were suddenly okay to talk about, and maybe they were. It had been such a long time since Chloe had made new friends outside of her circles that maybe this was the normal response to her routine. It made sense that an outsider would look at Chloe’s life and come to certain conclusions. That an outsider wouldn’t expect so much of her. As much as her family did, or as she did herself. 

“I mean, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?” It came out as more of a question than she had intended and Chloe winced internally. It was also a non-answer. It was an admittance of Chloe knowing she was overworked but unable to really justify why. 

Beca’s lips pursed but she let it turn into a neutral smile as she nodded in agreement. Chloe could tell she understood to some degree. Understood doing things because you felt you had to, felt a responsibility to. Chloe could also tell she had much more to say on the matter but was choosing to leave it alone, for now. 

Beca’s eyebrows rose then, like she had realized something.

“So wait, you’re in the clear then? No Bellas practice?”

Chloe smiled, adjusting her legs a little to lean towards Beca in anticipation. “Nope. Totally in the clear. Why, what are you thinking?”

Beca moved her feet out from under her, standing and putting her stuff in her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. “I think I have just the remedy for you. Hungry? It involves food.”

Chloe’s eyes followed Beca as she stood, running from her legs and up her torso. Under the green flannel the girl was wearing was a tight white tank top, tucked into her jeans at her waist. Chloe took note of how small Beca was, she hadn't noticed before but her jeans basically hung onto her hips, looser around her middle.

Chloe realized what she was doing too late to be discreet about it but Beca seemed to be too preoccupied looking up something on her phone to notice. So Chloe stood, trying to shake off the urge to reach for Beca’s waist and squeeze. Maybe inquire about her exercise routine which had to have been rigorous. Instead she steered back to the topic at hand.

“Food?” Chloe nodded. “I could definitely do food.”

Beca grinned.

___

It got colder as the sun waned and afternoon turned to early evening. Beca wasn’t totally sure what she was doing, as it wasn’t in her nature to spontaneously ask people to hang out. Especially people who she already felt nervous around. It wasn’t until she was sitting on the bus next to Chloe, heading downtown, that she really began to question why she had decided to do this in the first place. 

She doesn’t remember there being any sort of thought process to inviting Chloe to eat with her. All she knows is one moment she was thinking about how much Chloe did for the sake of others, how much she probably needed a break. Then, remembering what Jesse usually did for her to help her de-stress, she thought the same might work for Chloe. 

Large quantities of messy food and a mindless movie that’s easy to make fun of after. 

It wasn’t until she was on the bus, on the way to her favorite diner, Chloe sat next to her looking out the window at the sun setting, that Beca realized just how much this felt like a date. 

How much the things she and Jesse did every week now seemed like... date things. 

Beca wondered why that hadn’t occurred to her over the near two years she and Jesse had been doing this. 

And ok sure she knew what others probably thought, or what Stacie had told her she thought, or what her dad not so subtly suggested over the phone on the rare occasion that Jesse came up in conversation, but that was all just a bunch of people who didn’t get them, who don’t understand how Jesse and Beca operate. 

Now though, now it came traveling towards Beca at a thousand miles per hour. 

These were totally date things. 

And her confidence that Jesse was just as casual about it as she was? Well it was draining from her pretty rapidly. 

Beca wasn’t exactly sure how it took so long, but it was undeniable to her right now, how couple-y this felt. 

Sitting next to Chloe, she felt all the small pieces of paranoia and hyper awareness that came with the territory. 

She was conscious of how close their hands were on the seats, of where their shoulders barely touched, aware of Chloe’s foot tapping to some unknown beat- nearly hitting Beca’s sneaker each time. 

Simply put, she was hyper aware of the proximity of every part of her body in relation to Chloe's own. 

Which was new when considering how these things usually went. 

It was well known by her friends and family- and generally everyone that knew her- that Beca was extremely bad at going with the flow. She couldn’t handle anything involving surprise or spontaneity. If there’s a plan Beca wants to know about it. If there’s not, she wants to make one, to be sure of all her moves, all the details and possibilities. If there’s a plan then nothing can go wrong. There’s no way for Beca to mess up or to have to figure things out outside of what she already knows.

And it’s not like Beca hates change. She loves being challenged when it comes to mixing. Likes proving herself and breaking barriers. It’s just, the only way that she can do that is if she has stability everywhere else. Has a solid unshaken routine. There’s no room for the simple aspects of her life to become... un-simple. If that were to happen she would have to shift her attention from her music.

And if Beca wants any of her stupid dreams to come true, all her attention has to be on her music. As much as she can give while still passing classes and making enough money to survive.

“This is where we get off right?”

Beca looks up at Chloe and it takes a minute for the words to register but once they do she’s shifting her head to look out the window.

“Oh yeah! This is our stop.” 

Chloe smiles at her as they get up. Beca makes her eyes move across her face without stopping too long in any one place. 

“So what’s your favorite movie?” 

They walk at an easy pace, luckily they’re not very far from the diner as Beca realizes she hasn’t eaten since morning. It’s getting colder as the sun sets but it’s still bright outside, making the golden leaves on Main street glitter as they fall. 

At Chloe’s question, Beca’s lips curl into a cheeky grin. 

Chloe’s eyes flit across her face excitedly. “What? Is it like super embarrassing or something? I bet it is. It’s totally like Step Brothers or Elf or Zoolander.”

Beca looks at Chloe with a crinkle in her brow, a chuckle behind her words. “Why are you only listing Will Ferrel movies??”

“You seem like the type.” Chloe says it so seriously that for a minute Beca is reconsidering her entire persona and how would anyone get that from her, and it must be in her expression because Chloe takes one look at her and begins to giggle.

Beca feels her face turn pink. “You’re so annoying.”

Chloe gasps and nudges Beca’s side. “Take that back.” 

Beca would feel bad if Chloe wasn’t smiling so hard. “Mmm, or what?”

Chloe shakes her head incredulously. She looks up at the sky, pretending to seriously consider something. 

“You know,” she looks at Beca “you’re starting to get cocky, and honestly, it’s not cute.”

And Beca has no idea what gets into her, maybe it’s Chloe’s teasing tone, or her eyelashes- which Beca can’t even begin to unpack that right now- whatever it is Beca doesn’t take a second to consider her words, she just raises her eyebrows and looks Chloe dead in the eyes.

“Oh, so I was cute before?”

And Beca watches Chloe’s face shift in slow motion. Her unfiltered grin falls and she breaks eye contact. Her mouth opens as if she’s going to say something but stops. 

Beca berrates herself internally for only a moment before quickly self-correcting.

“I-” Her throat closes before she can get anything else out and she cringes. This is exactly why she always kept a routine, kept everything simple and the same and didn’t make new friends who were pretty and funny and smart. 

Because once you got Beca talking, there was no filter, and never had her brain wanted to share things with a person so much. Never had her ego been torn down so easily, Chloe’s words completely bypassing every wall Beca had put up and making her speak freely. It was a nightmare. 

Especially now that something had been rebooted in her brain that made her do whatever it was she was doing. 

She decides to switch gears before it gets too quiet. “I actually don’t have a favorite movie. I don’t even really like movies that much.” 

Chloe's head snaps up and her demeanor changes yet again, a questionable eyebrow raised. “You don’t like movies? How is that even possible?”

Beca shrugs. “I mean, I watch them because of Jesse. He’s like, super into all that stuff.”

“All that stuff?” Chloe scoffs. “Beca, everyone likes movies. There are all kinds, millions to choose from, you have to like some of them.”

“I’ve heard that before.” Beca stops to open the door to the diner for her.

Chloe shakes her head as they walk through. “Okay, then why in the world are we seeing a movie tonight if you dislike movies?” Chloe says the last part as if she still can’t believe it. 

They get a booth in the corner next to the window. The waiter brings them water as they look over the menu. “It’s what Jesse and I do when he thinks I’m getting stressed out. Which, to be fair, is often.”

Chloe shakes her head distractedly as she reads. It gets quiet as they decide, and for a moment Beca thinks the issue is dropped. 

Until Chloe decides to casually speak up from behind her menu. “So, what? You think I look stressed out or something?”

Beca fumbles as she sips her water, her glass nearly slipping out of her hand.

“No, no no- I mean that’s not exactly- what I... I didn’t mean...”

Chloe's eyes meet hers over the top of the menu and flutter back down. Beca thinks she might be laughing but can’t quite see. 

“Beca. I’m just teasing you.”

Beca takes a breath. “You really have got to stop doing that.”

Chloe puts down her menu, folding her arms on top of it, giving Beca her full attention. Her amused smile hits Beca in the chest from across the table. 

And as Beca goes to take another sip of her water, enough to collect herself, she has another sudden realization, which means that today she’s done more self discovery than she has in probably a decade- but that’s for another time. 

She realizes that she can barely get her mouth around the glass because of how wide she’s smiling and it startles her. Her teeth clink against the edge, forcing her mouth to move to take a proper drink, and once she’s done her lips seem to curl again all on their own. 

They get their orders taken and their sodas arrive not long after. Something sitting on the ice in Chloe’s drink catches Beca’s eye. 

Chloe chuckles at Beca’s line of sight. “It’s yours if you want it. I’m not a fan.” Chloe pushes her drink towards Beca. 

“How could you not be a fan?” Beca doesn’t hesitate in fishing the cherry from out of the ice, biting it, and plucking the stem from between her teeth. 

Chloe's stares as Beca chews but doesn’t say anything. It takes Beca looking back up at her to spur Chloe into action again. Moving her cup back and taking a sip herself. 

“So,” Chloe speaks up. “This Jesse guy. He’s your boyfriend right?” 

Beca looks up abruptly, used to this question by now, but somehow disheartened it’s coming from Chloe. She shakes her head. “Uh, nope, just friends.”

“Really?”

“We met when we were freshman and really hit it off, but not like that.”

Chloe nods. “So you’ve never liked him?”

Beca squirms internally. Even though she knows it’s not, the question still feels accusatory. “No, not really.”

Chloe nods again, accepting the answer. “Does he like you?”

And that’s where Beca’s brain gets tangled up in knots, because she’s not the type of person who knows what other people are feeling. She knows what Jesse has said to her directly,  
nothing about liking her, and that’s really all she has to go on. 

“I don’t think so?”

Their food arrives but Chloe keeps Beca’s eye between the plates being set down. “You don’t think so?” 

“How am I supposed to know? Guys are weird.”

Chloe laughs to herself. “You’re weird.”

Beca stops to squint ruefully at Chloe over the table, who responds by sticking her tongue out -of all things. 

Chloe unravels her silverware from the napkin. “Well, you could just ask him you know.”

“Yeah, I mean, I know.” Beca picks up a fry, waving it as she speaks. 

“Okay,” Chloe cuts into her pancakes “-so why don’t you do that?”

What if he says yes?

Beca just shrugs and says “I don’t know.” which seems to be a good enough answer for Chloe who just hums, seemingly too distracted by her food to question it any further. 

They eat and talk between bites. Occasionally picking something off the others plate or in Chloe's case willfully offering her food to Beca who she’s realizing truly has a bottomless stomach. 

It’s when they get the check that Chloe comes up with a great idea. 

“You know what we should do?” She squeaks excitedly. 

Beca raises an eyebrow at Chloe's sudden enthusiasm. “What?”

“Well you know how you don’t like movies right?”

“Yeah?”

“Well what if we go somewhere else?”

Beca shrugs. “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

At the look on Chloe's face, Beca feels like she’s just agreed to something she probably shouldn’t have. 

“You’re gonna love it.” 

——

“Soo, this isn’t exactly what I was expecting.”

After taking the bus back to campus, Chloe insisted they drive to their next destination. So, however mildly hesitant, Beca gets in Chloe's truck without any prior knowledge of where they’re going. 

Which she begins to think might’ve been a bad idea, as they pull up to the curb in front of a very tall, very southern looking church. 

“Don’t worry.” Chloe cuts the engine. “Big man’s on a break.”

Beca chuckles a little manically, still not breaking eye contact with the double doors, lit by a few garden lights leading up the path.

“Ha, very funny.”

Chloe smiles and gets out. “C’mon, I want to show you something.”

Beca undoes her seatbelt hesitantly. “No offense, but you’re not trying to indoctrinate me are you?”

Chloe closes her door, turning and peering through the open window. “Just get out of the truck dummy.” Her tone is fond and she says it in such a way that it makes Beca feel like they’ve known each other for years rather than just a few weeks. 

Chloe walks up the path to the church.

Beca can’t quite fathom that she’s going to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at us. Hey, look at us. Look at us. Who woulda thought huh? Not me.
> 
> Took a while but second chapter! This one really ran away from me. Will update with more! Will be quicker with the next one, just had to figure out where we were going, but we're definitely going somewhere so, :) Hope you enjoy, let me know! thanks a million.


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